Margalla Hills National Park

Margalla Hills National Park (Urdu: مارگلہ پہاڑیاں قومی پارک) is a national park in Pakistan located in Islamabad Capital Territory, near its northern boundary with Haripur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The park includes the Margalla Hills, which form the foothills of the Himalayas, along with Shakarparian Park and Rawal Lake.

Established in 1980, it is the third-largest national park in Pakistan with an area of 17,386 hectares (42,960 acres). Tilla Charouni, with a height of 1604 m, is the tallest peak in the park. The Park is a major tourist destination, with Daman-e-Koh and Pir Sohawa serving as popular hill stations, while the Monal Restaurant, Shakarparian Cultural Complex, and Lake View Park are popular picnic spots.

The park is rich in biodiversity, especially rich in Sino-Himalayan fauna, most notably gray goral, barking deer and the leopard. Combined, MHNP is home to around 600 plant species, 402 bird varieties, 38 mammals, and 27 species of reptiles. PTDC is currently constructing a chairlift project in the park.

Location

Margalla Hills National Park was created in 1980. It includes the Margalla Hills, Rawal Lake, and the Shakarparian Sports and Cultural complex. The park is located in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. The hills rise from 685 meters tall at the western end to 1,604 meters at the eastern end.

Paleontology

Millions of years ago, these mountains didn’t exist. Long ago, the Indian subcontinent was an island near Australia. It moved north and crashed into Asia about 40 to 50 million years ago. This crash pushed up the land and created the Himalayas. The rocks here are about 40 million years old and have many fossils of sea creatures, shells, plants, and wood from when these hills were under an ancient ocean.

These hills are where the Himalayas begin. The Himalayas stretch for thousands of kilometers between Pakistan, India, China, and Nepal, making them the tallest mountains in the world.

Flora and fauna

The Margalla Hills National Park has many different kinds of plants and animals. The southern slopes have short, mixed forests with both trees that lose their leaves and ones that keep theirs all year. In the north, you can find pines and oak trees.

The park is home to many mammals, including the Indian leopard, jungle cat, and several types of foxes and deer. Birds such as the Himalayan vulture and various falcons also live here. You can also find reptiles like the Russell's viper and the Indian cobra.

Flora

Since 1980, the Margalla Hills have been protected to help save their plants and animals. The park grows only natural trees and plants, such as Chir Pine, Olive, and Phulai. Flowering trees like Sumbal, Dhak, and Pear can also be found in the area.

Conservation campaigns

The Himalayan Wildlife Foundation is working on plans to help care for Margalla Hills National Park in a way that lets people and nature both thrive.

The Margalla Hills Society, started in 1989, is a group based in Islamabad that works to protect the park’s nature. They aim to keep the park’s green spaces healthy, teach people about the park’s plants and animals, and share important information with everyone.

Tourism, trekking and sports

The Margalla Hills National Park is very easy to visit because it is close to the national capital, Islamabad. Many bird lovers visit here all year. There are several hiking trails, with Trail 3 and Trail 5 being the most popular.

There are many places for rock climbing in the Margalla Hills. Some areas for climbing have been set up, but there is still much to discover. For beginners, some special spots are suggested (see the table below). Sport climbing is growing in popularity among young people in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, but only a few local climbers are very advanced, so most climbing spots are not crowded.

Unfortunately, a well-known restaurant called Monal, which many people loved for its beautiful views of Islamabad, was torn down in 2024 by order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.